Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, when politicians are overwhelmed, it seems like they only know two ways to deal with it – they either want to spend, or cut back.  That’s it.  Similarly, when many of my clients first call me, their frustration and overwhelmed feelings with being inundated by clutter cause them to also want to do these two things.  They either want to run out and buy more organizing products to make their clutter go away, or they institute unrealistic cut backs on themselves. 

For instance, my favorite “cut-back” is limiting yourself to handling a piece of paper only once.  While that’s great in theory, it doesn’t make much sense. It essentially means that you have to deal with that piece of paper, like making a decision or completing a To Do item, right then and there.  What if you don’t have the time?  That’s a LOT of pressure to put on yourself, don’t you think?  Instead of employing the “spend or cut-back” mentality, there’s another option that can be less stressful and help you be more successful.  However, this method might take a little more time upfront…which is why I think it becomes a last resort.

Take a moment to step back and try to remove yourself from the situation.  You need to understand the dynamics of what’s going on in your space, whether it’s the office or the home, before you can make any changes.  For example, instead of deciding you just don’t have enough filing space and you need to purchase another file cabinet, take a look at what you’re filing.  You likely have duplicate papers and even duplicate files that you haven’t looked at in quite some time.  Remembering that 80% of what you file is never referenced again, can help you really focus on what is important and what’s not, and then make the decision to shred or recycle.

Another example is the piles of paper that accumulate in the wrong place.  If you like to sort through your mail in the home office but it keeps piling up in the kitchen, maybe you can bring the sorting files to the kitchen.  No, you don’t have to move your file cabinets.  You can, however, utilize a portable file box that fits in a kitchen cabinet.  (Even if you left the box on the kitchen counter, that would look much better than a pile of mail, wouldn’t it?)  When the mail comes in, pre-sort it into five or seven categories you identified for that box.  Later, you can take the file box back into the office and finish the job.

I know many of us are busy and would much rather be doing ANYTHING but filing our mail.  However, given a little effort upfront and a few minutes each day, the paper piles you loathe so much would remain under control.

I came across an article the other day from a back issue (September 2008 actually) of O, The Oprah Magazine.  Let me first clarify that NO, I do not have back issues of this, or any other magazine, cluttering up my home.   I found the article online.  The author, Andrew Mellen, also a Professional Organizer, wrote about how to unclutter your life in 12 easy steps. 

I’ve always tried to give people tips on decluttering by using analogies or different scenarios.  For instance, pretend you’re moving.  If you wouldn’t pay to have the item packed up and shipped to your next location, get rid of it.  Regarding the clothing that no longer fits you that you hope to be able to wear again someday, if you do lose the weight, don’t you want to celebrate by going out and buying some new and exciting outfits?

In this article Mellen uses a different scenario that I’d like to share.  Let’s say your house is on fire...and your family, pets and purse are all safe.  What do you go after next?  Do you rush in to rescue those clothes that don’t fit sitting in a bin in your attic?  How about the silver or crystal you inherited that you never use because it’s just not your style?  All of a sudden the value we place on these items isn’t quite the same, is it?

If we could retrain ourselves to focus less on the monetary value of our stuff and more on the ways these items add value to our lives, it might be easier for us to let go.  Of course I’m not saying the monetary value isn’t important.  If those clothes that no longer fit you were really expensive, then try to consign them instead of giving them away.  However, they aren’t adding value to your life by hanging in a closet year after year.  Rather, they seem to be a constant reminder of how you used to look or of a goal you have not yet achieved.

Similarly, the silver or crystal you inherited isn’t adding value to your life if it lives in a drawer or closet collecting dust.  It might just be a guilty reminder for you every time you see it.  Why not give it to another relative or a friend who would use it?  Or you can simply give it to a charitable organization and take the tax deduction.

If we aren’t gaining happiness from the things we surround ourselves with, it’s time for those items to go!

The November 2011 issue of Inc. magazine had some interesting information about how we communicate our customer service experiences:

• The average number of people a customer will tell about a good customer service experience is 9.  That’s right.  When we have a fabulous experience with a store or company or website, we tell an average of 9 people about it.  That’s pretty good advertising for a company who offers their customers a little bit more, or goes above and beyond the norm.

However….

• The average number of people a customer will tell about a bad experience is 16.  Wow!  We tell 43% more people, almost double the number of people, when we have a bad experience.

 What does that say about us?  We’re a bunch of complainers!

I realize that in the last few years we’ve seen unemployment rise, the economy waiver, the ability to get a loan become nearly impossible, and many people finding themselves upside-down in their mortgages.  It’s not the best environment for optimism and going out of our way to pat someone on the back.  However, we’re not going to get anywhere complaining about it.

When I read the statistics above, I became acutely aware of how guilty I’ve become in this respect as well.  The recent issues we’ve had with building our home have left me quite bitter about it…and I don’t mind telling everyone!  (I’m surprised I haven’t written about it yet.)  Anyway, that realization made me think that it might be time to change my mind set.

If you take a moment to look around you, I know you can find something positive to say.  The more we focus on the positive, the more easily we’ll begin to recognize it on a daily basis. For instance, I just had a great meeting with the building department.  The gentleman I spoke with took the time to walk me through his feedback so I could be clear on exactly what I needed to do for my follow-up.  That conversation alone saved me a lot of time.  See…things are looking up!

For the new 2012 year, my challenge to you is to help reverse those statistics above.  When someone goes out of their way for you and provides some excellent customer service, I want you to tell at least 16 people.  Can you do that?  I look forward to hearing about it :) 

Happy New Year!

Everything you do, every single day, is a choice.  You can choose to do something or you can choose not to do it.  But in the end, it’s your choice.

Originally, that small paragraph was going to be the entire blog.  It really is as simple as that.  However when I bring up this point during my workshops, I’m often met with some resistance. 

“But I have to drive my kids to school.”

“I have to go to my mother-in-law’s house for dinner every Sunday.”

I’m not saying there aren’t consequences that come along with your choices, but you do have a choice.

You don’t have to drive your kids to school.  They could take the bus, you could talk to other moms and dads in their school about setting up a carpool, your spouse could drive them, they may be able to walk to school, etc.  There certainly are other options.  If you choose to drive your kids to school, despite these other options, then that’s your choice.

You don’t have to go to your mother-in-law’s house every Sunday for dinner.  You could stay home and have your family go without you.  Your spouse may not like it, but it’s a possible choice.  Maybe your family is busy with sports on the weekends, as many are.  You can explain that to your mother-in-law (or have your spouse do it) and tell her you’re cutting back your visits to once a month.  You can also offer to have her come to your house once per month, if that would make things easier.  Again, other options exist.  You may be afraid to rock the boat and so you choose to attend those Sunday dinners.  If that’s the case, then that’s your choice.

So the next time you hear yourself say, “I have to….,” change your wording to say, “I choose to….”

When you start changing your language and “I choose to…” is followed by something you really don’t want to do, I can guarantee you’ll start looking for other options.  It’s just a simple way to remind you that you do have a choice.

Despite the title of this blog, I’m a big fan of volunteering.  Whether I’m lending a hand in my community or within my profession, I think volunteerism is all part of the balance we try to achieve in our daily lives.  As with anything else however, we must remember moderation.

Have you ever heard the phrase “helium hand?”  I love that phrase because it’s so visually descriptive.  We all know people who, when volunteers are solicited, raise their hands immediately.  It doesn’t matter what needs to be done, they are at-the-ready to take charge!  Those people have what’s called “helium hand.”  Their hands seem to rise all by themselves.  They just can’t help it.

I have a friend who has been very active in a particular organization for the past few years.  She managed to take the reigns as President last year, as we all knew she would.  She’s a fabulous leader and the organization is very lucky to have her.  At the start of the year she had her plan mapped out and was ready to tackle the “big project” she inherited as President.  And then…the Vice President got sick, one of the key committee chairs got a new promotion that required her to move within 30 days, and another board member resigned unexpectedly.  If any of you have served on a volunteer board, you know that the best laid plans can be thrown right out the window.  As they say… “life happens.”

Despite the dwindling manpower, my friend was still determined to get that “big project” done.  Instead of scaling back the deliverables for the year, she took on lots more work than one person could handle.  She stayed up until 1AM many nights trying to get things accomplished.  In the meantime, Wednesday night “date night” with her husband was often put on hold and she was spending less and less time with her two kids.

When we volunteer our time, especially as mothers and fathers, we’re sending a message to our children about the importance of giving our time, and sometimes our money, to help others.  This sentiment is exactly what my friend was trying to impart to her own children.  And while I certainly admire my friend’s commitment to her organization, I eventually saw how that sentiment began to backfire.  She spent so much time picking up the slack for others, that her children began to resent the work she was doing.  Eventually she heard comments like, “I hate that place…” and “why do you care about those kids more than us?”  And that’s when she knew something had to change.

I’m happy to say that today my friend is still enjoying her volunteer work.  It took some effort on her part to accept the fact that she was not going to get that “big project” done during her presidency, but she and her board were able to put a good dent in it before she passed the project along to the next President.  She realized she had to reassess what needed to be done vs. what she wanted to get done, and then cross-reference that list with the amount of manpower she actually had. 

Remember, everyone is feeling the time crunch these days.  It seems that 20% of the people in various volunteer organizations are doing 80% of the work.  If you have the time and want to volunteer, by all means do so!  If you’re strapped for time, but no one else is volunteering, beware of the helium hand…

In my work as an Organizer, nothing fascinates me more than looking at how people spend their time.  Time management is something I think every one of us has struggled with on one or two occasions. 

I was recently reading some statistics on the subject of how Americans spend their time…or rather, their time off.  I was surprised to learn that one-third of us typically don’t use all of our allotted vacation time.  Really?  Why not?  Unfortunately, the statistic didn’t answer that question, so I’ll ask you, the reader.  Have you really ever had trouble using up all of your vacation days?

Actually, maybe I should clarify this a bit better….for those of you who get PAID vacation time, have you ever not used it all?

When I worked in corporate, I don’t think I ever had leftover vacation days at the end of my fiscal year.  If anything, I was looking for ways to take more!  I cherished those days off. 

What is it about our culture that keeps us working?  We don’t even seem to leave our work at the office anymore.  We’re still plugged in via smartphone or laptop when we get home.  Now, more than ever, we need to learn to take a break and step away from the job.  Even if we don’t leave town, just taking a day or a week off from work, allows us to do something for ourselves and gives us the means to recharge our batteries
 

According to Expedia (as published in Inc. magazine), the average number of vacation days employees received annually in the U.S. is 13.

Japan? 15
Australia? 19
Germany? 27
France? 38!  Way to go France!  Looks like I’m moving…

Think of it this way… you earned those vacation days!  That is your time with which you can do whatever you wish.  In the words of M. Scott Peck, “Until you value yourself, you will not value your time.  Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.”